UK 'has a long way to go' on alcoholism

The UK must take steps to combat its ever-worsening alcohol problem, a leading doctor has warned.

A large proportion of the population, one in three men and one in five women, are drinking too much, said Dr Gray Smith-Laing.

Raising the price of alcohol is one obvious way to combat the problem, he suggested.

Speaking on BBC Two's Newsnight, Dr Smith-Laing said: "The evidence is very clear that a huge proportion of the population is drinking excessively.

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"Our relationship with alcohol is rather delinquent in this country.

"The one thing that is clearly demonstrated in all parts of the world that affects the consumption of alcohol is cost. There has to be some rise in the price of alcohol which has become progressively cheaper and cheaper."

Such a rise in the price of alcohol would be politically unpopular but it is a strategy which does work to combat the problem, Dr Laing-Smith added.

He also said that drinking on the continent is used to enhance experiences like meals and meeting friends, while in the UK the alcohol itself is the centre of attention.

Recently health secretary Patricia Hewitt asked Chancellor Gordon Brown to raise the taxes on alcohol in his next budget.

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